Opened in October 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story), the 15 million SCA materials recycling facility (MRF) in Southampton is designed to handle 200,000 tonnes of recyclables a year. Material is currently sourced from collections in Plymouth, Cardiff, Monmouth, Essex and the West Midlands.
The21 million Casepak MRF was officially opened by recycling minister Lord Taylor on January 16 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story), and has the capacity to process 150,000 tonnes-a-year of commingled dry recyclables from businesses and households across the Midlands. Casepak is jointly owned by SCA and G.A.E Smith (Holdings) Limited.
Aspart of the proposed DS Smith acquisition of SCAs packaging operations, (see letsrecycle.com story) the MRF facilities would represent DS Smiths first move into sorting multi-material streams and help the company to secure feedstock for its UK paper mills.
SCA had been striving to fill the capacity at the Southampton MRF and was hoping to reach full capacity in early 2012 over two years after opening (see letsrecycle.com story).
SCA Recycling could not be reached today for comment on the specific impacts of the proposed sale.
For DS Smith the purchase of materials recycling facilities will bring it into an arena where there has been much discussion over quality of the material from MRFs with company taking a strong stance on quality and generally not favouring MRF material.
Aylesford Newsprint
Yesterdays announcement about the proposed sale of SCAs packaging division to DS Smith contained no reference to SCA’s Publication Papers division which includes Aylesford Newsprint, the Kent mill which produces about 400,000 tonnes of recycled newsprint each year.
While SCA’s is now looking to shift its focus primarily on its hygiene products tissue business which will make up 80% of SCA’s net sales,it still has a Publication Papers division which consists of three paper mills, Ortviken inSweden, Laakirchen inAustria and a 50% share in Kent-based Aylesford Newsprint (the balance is owned by Mondi).
SCA Graphic Sundsvall and SCA Graphic Laakirchen are part of SCAs Forest Products business area and some in the paper sector now consider that Aylesfords position within the SCA empire is becoming more exposed and it might be the next part of SCA to see an ownership change.
In late 2011 Mondi noted that The very weak European newsprint market continues to impact on Aylesford Newsprints ability to return to profitability. And, a recent decision toarrange withan external firm to sort newspapers and magazines for Aylesford has caused some surprise as SCA Recycling was not involved.
Printwaste
Thesorting work is by Printwaste Recycling & Shredding of Cheltenham which revealed earlier this month that it had invested more than 100,000 in new paper sorting equipment to improve the quality of material sent for recycling at one of the UKs largest newsprint manufacturers.
Printwaste said that a six-tonne per hour paper processing facility has been installed at Printwastes Stoke Orchard site near Cheltenham, handling newspapers and magazines from local authority kerbside collections across the country. Contaminants are removed from the waste stream by hand, and the recycled paper is then used by Kent-based Aylesford Newsprint to be manufactured into newspaper.
Printwaste managing director Don Robins said: Thanks to this investment, we can offer best practice closed loop recycling in supplying the highest quality feedstock. With an annual processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes or more we are anticipating further demand and investing in the future. Newspapers and magazines can be recycled up to seven times, conserving valuable energy and water resources that are needed to turn wood into paper.
Register for free to comment